Godot from Zero to Proficiency (Beginner): Godot from Zero to Proficiency, #2

Patrick Felicia

Godot From Zero to Proficiency

(Beginner)

Copyright © 2021 Patrick Felicia

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in retrieval systems, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher (Patrick Felicia), except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews.

Every effort has been made in the preparation of this book to ensure the accuracy of the information presented. However, the information contained in this book is sold without warranty, either expressed or implied. Neither the author and its dealers and distributors will be held liable for any damages caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by this book.

First published: April 2021

Published by Patrick Felicia

Credits

Author: Patrick Felicia

About the Author

Patrick Felicia is a lecturer and researcher at Waterford Institute of Technology, where he teaches and supervises undergraduate and postgraduate students. He obtained his MSc in Multimedia Technology in 2003 and PhD in Computer Science in 2009 from University College Cork, Ireland. He has published several books and articles on the use of video games for educational purposes, including the Handbook of Research on Improving Learning and Motivation through Educational Games: Multidisciplinary Approaches (published by IGI), and Digital Games in Schools: A Handbook for Teachers, published by European Schoolnet. Patrick is also the Editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Game-Based Learning (IJGBL), and the Conference Director of the Irish Symposium on Game-Based Learning, a popular conference on games and learning organized throughout Ireland.

Support and Resources for this Book

To complete the activities presented in this book you need to download the startup pack on the companion website; it consists of free resources that you will need to complete your projects. To download these resources, please do the following:

Open the page http://www.learntocreategames.com/books.

Click on your book (Godot From Zero to Proficiency (Beginner))

On the new page, please click the link that says "Please Here Click to Download Your Resource Pack"

This book is dedicated to Helena & Mathis

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction to Programming in GDScript

Introduction

Statements

Comments

Variables

Arrays

Constants

Operators

Conditional statements

Match statements

Loops

Classes

Defining a class

Accessing class members and variables

Constructors

Static members of a class

Inheritance

Methods and Functions

Default parameters and return types for functions

Scope of variables

Events or Signals

Workflow to create a script

Coding convention

A few things to remember when you create a script (checklist)

Level roundup

Chapter 2: Creating your First Script

Quick overview of the interface

Getting started

Creating your first function

Creating your own class

Best practices

Level roundup

Chapter 3: Adding Interaction with GDScript

Resources necessary for this chapter

Creating a simple script to collect objects

Adding a scoring system

Loading a new level based on the score

Level roundup

Chapter 4: Creating and Updating a User Interface from Your Code

Setting up the scene

Creating a timer

Collecting boxes and displaying messages accordingly

Deleting the user messages after a few seconds

Displaying a dynamic message for the boxes collected

Rotating objects to be picked up

Collecting petrol cans in the second level

Activating the Spacecraft

Level roundup

Chapter 5: Polishing Our Game

Creating a splash screen for the game

Displaying the score in each scene

Displaying items collected as part of the user interface using images

Adding sound effects

Playing background music

Adding a mini-map

Level roundup

Chapter 6: Frequently Asked Questions

Scripts

Interaction with assets

Using a graphical user interface

Audio

Detecting user inputs

Thank you

Preface

This book will show you how you can very quickly start using Godot and code in GDScript, a scripting language similar to Python.

Although it may not be as powerful as Unity or Unreal yet, Godot offers a wide range of features for you to create your video games. More importantly, this game engine is both Open Source and lightweight which means that even if you have (or you are teaching with) computers with very low technical specification, you should still be able to use Godot, and teach or learn how to code while creating video games.

This book series entitled Godot From Zero to Proficiency allows you to play around with Godot’s core features, and essentially those that will make it possible to create interesting 3D and 2D games rapidly. After reading this book series, you should find it easier to use Godot and its core functionalities, including programming with GDScript.

This book series assumes no prior knowledge on the part of the reader, and it will get you started on Godot so that you quickly master all the wonderful features that this software provides by going through an easy learning curve.

By completing each chapter, and by following step-by-step instructions, you will progressively improve your skills, become more proficient in Godot, and create a survival game using Godot’s core features in terms of programming (i.e., GDScript), game design, and drag and drop features.

In addition to understanding and being able to master Godot’s core features, you will also create a game that includes many of the common techniques found in video games, including: level design, object creation, textures, collision detection, lights, weapon creation, character animations, particles, artificial intelligence, and menus.

Throughout this book series, you will create a game that includes environments where the player needs to find its way out of the levels, escalators, traps, and other challenges, avoid or eliminate enemies using weapons (i.e., guns or grenades), and drive a car or pilot an aircraft.

You will learn how to create customized menus and simple user interfaces using Godot’s UI system, and animate and give artificial intelligence to Non-Player Characters (NPCs) that will be able to follow the player character using pathfinding.

Finally, you will also get to export your game at the different stages of the books, so that you can share it with friends and obtain some feedback as well.

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Content Covered by this Book

Chapter 1, Introduction to Programming in GDScript, provides an introduction to GDScript and to core principles that will help you to get started. It explains key programming concepts such as variables, variable types, or functions.

Chapter 2, Creating your First Script, helps you to code your first script. It explains common coding mistakes and errors in GDScript, and how to avoid them easily. It also goes through some common error messages for beginners, and explains what they mean and how they can be avoided easily.

Chapter 3, Adding Interaction with GDScript, gets you to improve your scripting skills and your game and add more interaction. You will learn to create a scoring system, detect collisions, and load new levels.

Chapter 4, Creating and Updating a User Interface, explains how you can create a user interface using Godot’s UI system. You will add onscreen elements such as images, or text, and update them with your scripts to display the score and other messages to the user.

Chapter 5, Polishing Our Game, explains how you can improve your game, by adding a splash-screen, displaying items collected onscreen, or adding sound effects and a mini-map.

Chapter 6 provides answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) related to the topics covered in this book (e.g., scripting, audio, interaction, AI, or user interface). It also provides links to additional exclusive video tutorials that can help you with some of your questions.

Chapter 7 summarizes the topics covered in the book and provides you with more information on the next steps.

What you Need to Use this Book

To complete the project presented in this book, you only need Godot 3.2 (or a more recent version), and to also ensure that your computer and its operating system comply with Godot’s requirements. Godot can be downloaded from the official website (http://www.godotengine.org/download), and before downloading, you can check that your computer fulfills the requirements for Godot on the same page.

At the time of writing this book, the following operating systems are supported by Godot for development: Windows, Linux and Mac OS X.

In terms of computer skills, all knowledge introduced in this book will assume no prior programming experience from the reader. This book does not include any programming, as this will be introduced in the second book in the series. So for now, you only need to be able to perform common computer tasks such as downloading files, opening and saving files, be comfortable with dragging and dropping items, and typing.

Who this book is for

If you can answer yes to all these questions, then this book is for you:

Are you a total beginner in GDScript?

Would you like to become proficient in the core functionalities offered by Godot?

Would you like to teach students or help your child to understand how to create games, using programming?

Would you like to start creating great 2D or 3D games?

Although you may have had some prior exposure to Godot, would you like to delve more into Godot and understand its core functionalities in more detail?

Who this book is not for

If you can answer yes to all these questions, then this book is not for you:

Can you already code with GDScript to implement simple behaviors such as score, collision detection, or to update the user interface?

Can you already easily code a 3D game with Godot with built-in objects, controllers, cameras, lights, and terrains?

Are you looking for a reference book on GDScript?

Are you an experienced (or at least advanced) Godot user?

If you can answer yes to all four questions, you may instead look for the next books in the series. To see the content and topics covered by these books, you can check the official website (www.learntocreategames.com/books).

How you will learn from this book

Because all students learn differently and have different expectations of a course, this book is designed to ensure that all readers find a learning structure that suits them. Therefore, it includes the following:

A list of the learning objectives at the start of each chapter so that readers have a snapshot of the skills that will be covered.

Each section includes an overview of the activities covered.

Many of the activities are step-by-step, and learners are also allowed to engage in deeper learning and problem-solving skills through the challenges offered at the end of each chapter.

Each chapter ends up with a quiz and challenges through which you can put your skills (and knowledge acquired) into practice, and see how much you know. Challenges consist in coding, debugging, or creating new features based on the knowledge that you have acquired in the chapter.

The book focuses on the core skills that